


Romance in the Moonlight

by moricat



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Falling In Love, M/M, Romance, SPOILER TAGS UP AHEAD:, Werewolf Eren Yeager, Werewolf Mates, Werewolves, Wolf Eren Yeager, Wolf Instincts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-07
Updated: 2018-10-20
Packaged: 2019-07-27 10:21:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,852
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16217045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moricat/pseuds/moricat
Summary: Armin is a young bachelor who moves into the mysterious woods. Eren is an odd young man who's even more mysterious than the woods himself. What adventure awaits these two in this October-appropriate romance?





	1. A Warm Welcome

**Author's Note:**

> I have so much school work to do but I've had the rough draft for this story saved for almost a year now and I wanna try to edit and post it inbetween my homework assignments because it's October and it's Halloween and I love my ship so college can get over itself for a minute :3
> 
> Because I have actual work to do, however, I hope you can forgive these chapters still being a little rough, I don't have the time to really dedicate to editing them. (I'll probably be asking someone to be a beta reader for me soon if I'm really pressed for editing time). 
> 
> So anyway, please enjoy this thing I posted instead of doing my midterms homework if you can lmao<3

Armin Arlert was officially 18 and out on his own. He had waited so anxiously for this time to finally come and was both terrified and intrigued by the idea. The logical side of him wanted to stay home and continue being a stay-at-home son and grandson, since a weakling like himself would scarcely survive out in the beautiful but cruel world. But the part of him that loathed the thought of being a burden, as well as the starving romantic in him, drove him to the grand, gigantic woods near the mountains a few miles away from the city. The woods are to be feared, and yet they are dangerously welcoming all at the same time. Many people sang praises to its beauty, but just as many also would preach of the danger that followed its siren call. Whatever drew Armin to it, whether it was hopeful curiosity or thoughts of suicide, he marched forth on his short little legs, tripping over various dirt clods in his little leather boots. There was a truly picturesque scene to behold with these woods in the orangey sunlight of this hour. The birds chirped to their mates to return for the night while the lapping brook seemed to call to the petite bachelor to come deeper into the forest and spend the night. Armin couldn’t seem to get rid of the lump in his throat but he also couldn’t seem to keep his eyes from widening at the wonders of this wild world around him. He had always been this way, even as a lonely child. Danger always seemed to find him, and so easily in a society that takes up issue with a boy of "his kind", but he continued to go outside every day in search of peace and pleasure. He brushed his long blond hair out of his eyes and looked over to his left when the sound of cawing crows startled him. When the birds shot up and away from their perch, Armin hummed in relief to find that they had flown off of an old abandoned cabin. He clutched at his satchel and smiled as he bounded forward to the old building, surveying it to find that the cozy looking place was uninhabited and its groaning floors begged for a new resident to come inside.

Exploring was Armin’s half baked dream since childhood, inspired by his spirited parents whose flighty tendencies always left him in the arms of his caring grandpa. The caramel-eyed boy knew he might not be cut out for such a lifestyle himself, being so weak and small and yet when the day finally came for him to be on his own, he couldn’t think of anything better to do with himself. And so, quickly building a fire in the old hearth and setting up his little cauldron of beef stew to simmer while he was away, he immediately set out to see what was to behold of the area surrounding him. These particular woodlands were appreciated by the nearby village at the bottom of the mountain, but only from a distance. When Armin had sought for a map from the citizens, they all said the same thing: no one has ever managed to stay in those woods long enough to bother making a map. When further pressed for answers, the citizens, almost defensively, gave him nothing, leaving Armin to his own devices in navigating them, he supposed.

After his luck finding the cabin, he was rather excited to take a little stroll before dinner, looking forward to any other new surprises these generous woods might have to offer. He hoped to look at the stars from out here in the vast open air tonight, despite missing the full moon by a whole day due his delay in finding a map in town. This was a sort of celebratory idea he’d thought up before leaving home to commemorate his officially settling in, so he supposed this would be a good time to find a comfortable spot for doing so. He checked his compass and decided to head west for a short distance, appreciating the crunch of the autumn leaves beneath his feet and the smell of fresh cool air about him, as the light sank deeper into its orangey hue. But despite beginning this walk with a somewhat jaunty step, he began to slow down. As sunset made its presence undeniable, he finally noticed that the birds had stopped chirping, and there was a stillness about the environment that felt somehow very strange. The innocent life in the woods seemed to recoil completely, leaving it eerily quiet, as though it were actually frightened. Armin’s slow walking came to a stop altogether as he checked his surroundings again to ensure he wasn’t getting lost. These woods no longer felt so welcoming, and the once exciting fresh cool air, now seemed to whisper a word of caution to his ear. But despite the innocent life in the woods suddenly retreating, he somehow felt that he wasn’t alone…

A wolf’s how sounded in the distance from far away and the romantic in him quickly retreated as well, leaving him with only his anxiety to take helm. Armin’s little heart jumped in nervousness, while thoughts of hungry animals with more right to tread these woods than he began circling about his mind. Suddenly, the sound of a branch snapping interrupted those thoughts and the youth turned around sharply to see what caused it. He saw nothing out of the ordinary, but somehow this made him feel even more afraid. The romantic in him seemed like a fool to the otherwise rational youth in times like these. Although he recognized this fact going in, it did not truly hit him until this moment that he was all alone in these scary woods, and should danger come to call, he would be very helpless to do anything. His heart beat took off at full speed in his chest, as he began to remember thoughts of his lonely childhood against his will, wherein he did nothing about the cruel children who would beat him to bloody bruises and a mess of tears in the name of justice until they’d grow bored and leave him. Nature did not grow bored, however. It only grew hungry and ate until it was satisfied. Armin shook his head to ward off his thoughts, returning to the quiet scene before him of the orange-lit grass, still trees, and the babbling brook. He wiped a bead of sweat from his brow, searching for his sense of safety and security again as the quiet of reality came back to him, but he must have still been imagining things because he could swear he heard heavy breathing coming closer and closer to him…

Out of the heavy silence, there came a quiet “Hey… what are you doing out here?”

Armin immediately turned around in the direction of the murmur to find a fierce-eyed boy staring at him behind a tree. He breathed heavily as his blood ran cold from the fright, but seeing as it was just another boy after all, he calmed down a bit. He trembled and began walking towards him with his legs wobbling him along, finding the nerve to smile anyway and present his normal, friendly disposition. “H-Hello. I just moved here near the bottom of the mountain! I thought I’d do some exploring...” he answered meekly.

The other boy did not smile back. He had a menacing disposition about him that made Armin rather nervous, despite his own friendly nature. The stranger was ordinary as far as Armin could tell; young, but tall, olive skinned, and raven haired with unkempt strands that surrounded his half-lidded, ferocious silver eyes. Indeed, he seemed so ordinary and yet a lurking strength of some kind leaked its way onto his countenance. “You shouldn’t be out here at night.” The boy said coldly. “Go on back to where you came from.” 

Armin forced back the lump in his throat as best he could and argued back sweetly. “I- kinda wanted to look at the stars tonight though-” 

“Bad idea. I’d stay inside if I were you.” 

Armin was a little surprised to find someone getting in his way on the first night, and grew even more anxious of this cold and scary fellow’s presence. But still, he calmly smiled back at him. “Thank you for your concern… I’ll head home then.” 

The fierce boy snarked back, however, stepping forward from behind the tree and crossing his arms as he leaned against it. “I’m not concerned for you. Only idiots come out here at night, and I was curious if you were that stupid. You can stay out here if you want to, don’t let me stop you.” He concluded with an pouty frown and a furrowed brow, insisting his indifference.

Armin chuckled nervously, for some reason, and oddly felt a little more comfortable. He replied very kindly to the frightful boy. “Alright, I’ll go home… But only if you come with me! I’m excited to meet my neighbors already and I have plenty of beef stew to spare. Will you come? You said we shouldn’t be out here at night, right?” He asked, offering his hand out to the stranger in hopes of forging a new friendship. 

The fierce boy denied the hand with a wave, (leaving Armin to wonder about his social skills), and stood there silently, staring at the ground.

“My name is Armin.” the friendlier youth revealed warmly, refusing to give up this opportunity for friendship in such a terrifying place as these woods. “What’s your name?” He asked, trying not to appear intimidated by how much taller this eerie boy was than him. 

The dark haired boy looked up with wide eyes and was taken aback by this pretty blond boy’s unabashed attitude. He likened him to a little ray of sunshine, the sort that gleams right in your eye whether you like it or not. He finally replied softly, “Uh… Eren.” and this was followed by a loud stomach growl. 

Armin smiled, trying not to chuckle again in relief as the previously scary fellow tensed up and grabbed at his stomach with a blush. “Sounds like you’re hungry indeed, then. Come on, my house is just over here. Let’s go have dinner!” he insisted, holding his hand out again. 

Eren timidly accepted the hand, surprised to see it offered again, and found himself being pulled gently along to Armin’s new-old house just a short distance away. 

\--

The once-abandoned cabin creaked as they entered, and the warmth of the fire was working hard at its attempt to frighten all the stale emptiness away. Eren locked the door behind him and glanced around at his new surroundings. Armin decided to ignore the strange action of locking the door for now in favor of creating a rapport with a new friend, and scampered away happily to attend to the stew. “Make yourself at home! I mean- with what little I have here.” He requested sweetly.

Eren raised an eyebrow, judging this guy’s naive hospitality towards a complete stranger as foolish and turned his gaze toward the dusty and dimly lit cabin. This place seemed so dreary, the mysterious boy thought. It was certainly abandoned for good reason. And was not at all the sort of place that would seem to be a suitable dwelling for such an annoyingly sweet ray of sunshine like the little fellow about to tend to their dinner. But an interesting smell entered his nose and distracted him from further judgement. Armin lifted the lid from the little black pot and inhaled with a sigh for the smell of home, the smell of his grandfather’s beef stew, a loving recipe the old man had developed of his own passion throughout the years, which Armin was attempting to learn to master. The smell then hit Eren’s nose like a smack to the face, he would say, or perhaps a warm gentle caress might better describe it. His jaw dropped. Armin glanced at him with yet another smile.

“Soup’s on!” The cheery boy announced, but he was unprepared for the intense look in the once-cold boy’s lit eyes. 

Eren walked over to the cauldron, a childlike curiosity about him, and inhaled the smell with such wonder. “What is this?” He asked urgently.

“It’s beef stew.” Armin replied with a chuckle in his voice, charmed by the eagerness of his strange guest. “Have a seat, I’ll bring you a bowl of it.”

Eren sat with his legs crossed under him, eagerly awaiting dinner with big hungry eyes, watching Armin’s every move as he lit a lantern and placed it before him along with a glass of water. When Armin finally held out a warm bowl of hot stew to him, Eren seemed to glow with excitement. He brought the bowl to his lips and tilted it with anticipation to finally taste that which intrigued him so much- and his eyes began to well up with tears. 

Armin watched him both with concern and fascination as the boy who had so frightened him outside not 10 minutes ago seemed to just melt before a bowl of stew.

“It’s incredible…” Eren mewled with a crack of sobbing in his throat and a misty expression on his face.

“I’m- glad you like it.” Armin replied but he couldn’t say much more upon the sight of Eren lapping up the stew in his bowl so fervently. He supposed he would take this as a high compliment and grinned to himself for having someone to share this beloved recipe with. 

When Eren’s appetite was appeased after several helpings of the seasoned meaty stew, the pair began to converse for long hours about everything related to Armin. They discussed exploration, where Armin was from, his parents the engineers who explored throughout his childhood, and everything in between Armin could think of revealing to a stranger. But anytime Armin asked about Eren’s life, Eren just kept to himself and changed the subject. But eventually, and unfortunately, Armin ran out of beef stew by the end of the evening. He carried their dishes over to the door to be washed in the brook in the morning. 

Eren wiped his eyes, for what seemed like the hundredth time, and excused himself to leave. 

“You’re leaving? So soon? Is that really safe? You said to stay inside at night, did you not?” the sweet host protested sadly.

Eren assured him in a firm voice. “I’ll be fine, don’t worry. But keep your doors locked.” 

Armin pouted, both for regretting that Eren had to leave, and for not knowing why he couldn’t go outside with him tonight too. “Must I really? I would so like to show you the stars…”

Eren seemed saddened upon hearing that offer, but repeated his request. “No… Stay inside, and keep your doors locked. Trust me, it’s for the best.”

Armin sighed wistfully, most disappointed at Eren’s insistence, but still found another smile to give him anyway. “Thank you for having dinner with me. I hope to see you again soon.” 

Eren looked somewhat pained to leave now, but opened the squeaky old door anyway. “You may.” He replied. And with a nod, he left, running out to head for his home. 

Armin watched from the doorway as Eren’s figure fled through the soft moonlight, unable to stop smiling to himself. He closed the door, locking it firmly as he was told to, and thought to himself all night until he fell asleep about Eren and his new life here. As cold and weird as that guy was, this was the first real friend Armin had ever made, and the adventure could only get better from here, couldn’t it?


	2. A Full Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Armin takes a little journey in the woods and runs into unexpected company.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i could be writing the 3 essays i need to do for school right now xD

The next morning brought fresh promises to the petite bachelor, with a blue sky and singing birds to welcome him back into the forest. Armin grinned his way outside bright and early with his satchel to explore a little further and familiarize himself with his new home, strolling about contentedly. He decided to to follow the beautiful stream, and paused to pull his journal out and take notes and sketch any little interesting thing he saw along the way on his little journey. He found some nice flowers around the brook, some tiny fish in the water, various rocks and bugs; and sighed to himself with humble gratification. This was what he always dreamed of doing as a child, even if this were such a small scale expedition, but perhaps he could first conquer these woods, and then eventually see the free world! But his smile faded just as quickly too. This was pleasant and all, but it just wasn’t quite as fun as he imagined it would be. Perhaps it was because these woods were just a forest and not a grand far off place with exotic sites? Or perhaps he just wished he weren’t alone…

His thoughts came to a halt, however, at the sight of a giant paw print in the mud. The youth’s hazel eyes widened and he immediately fell to his knees to sketch it into a page of his journal. He managed to finish hatching it but suddenly thought he heard a low growling noise from somewhere around him. He twitched with fear as he turned to see if anything was behind him, but just like yesterday, he saw nothing. That eerie feeling of being alone amidst danger came back to him all over again, followed by a wave of adrenaline when he saw the bushes in front of him begin rustling. His breathing fell short and shallow as he grit his teeth, anticipating a foe approaching him in any moment… But it was just Eren.

“Oh, it’s you. I thought I heard something over here.” The ravenet said casually as he stepped up and out from behind the bushes empty handed, walking nearer to the creekside by his acquaintance.

The sweating Armin exhaled and smiled in relief. “Aha, it’s just me… What are you up to?” He asked as he stood back up to the best of his ability with his quivering little knees.

“I was coming over here to fish.” Eren revealed, seemingly indifferent to the well being of the cheery blond who was on the verge of a panic attack just a moment ago. “But…” His expression suddenly fell sullen, and his eyes grew pitifully wide with a yearning hope. “That beef stew you made was really good… Do you have anymore?”

“Oh…” Armin shook his head no, sorry that he didn’t have any already made to give his hungry designated friend, whom he smiled upon yet again in appreciative kindness. “But I’d be glad to make some more for you if you’d like!”

Eren nod his head so eagerly without thinking twice. “Yes, please!”

Armin laughed. He’d never met someone so eager before and found this young man so charming to behold.

Eren took his hand with a squeeze so that Armin could lead him to the cabin, but he was practically leading Armin there himself as he all but sprinted along.

\--

Armin gladly got to cooking them their hearty lunch and told Eren once again to make himself at home, picking up where they left off last night. He began telling Eren stories about his parents’ adventures, and all the things they’d seen on their journeys together throughout their continent. From the high and free skies, to the low and scary earth, they had seen it all and done it all, and loved each other deeply. Eren thought that all sounded pretty amazing, but Armin noticed him begin to look rather depressed the more he went on about them. Armin thus decided to stop and change the subject, asking Eren about these woods and what interesting things there were to see here. Eren thought for a moment and mentioned a few places that were meaningless to him but might intrigue the outsider, and they did indeed oppositely sound amazing to Armin. The blond boy’s big coppery eyes lit up for the thoughts and he excitedly asked Eren in a precious voice, “Will you take me there?! Please?”

Eren seemed hesitant, not at all confident in the idea but looking into those terrifyingly beautiful eyes he just- couldn’t say no.

And so, after lunch, consisting of another weirdly emotional 2 or 3 bowls of beef stew, Eren took Armin to see whatever potentially interesting places he could think of showing him in a day. He brought him to the little meadow with its vast array of flowers that sported such vibrant colors and were the likes of which Armin had never seen before. He took Armin to the chilly but beautiful little caves he knew of that sparkled with shimmering quartz specs in Armin’s lantern light against their walls. He took him to the waterfall that brought white rapids down the stream, which Eren had seen many a dumb rafter try to boat through with little to no success, and the image of adventure excited Armin beyond belief as he clutched Eren’s hand and arm in his. Eren couldn’t help snickering to himself. These places seemed so dull to him in their ordinary capacity, but Armin made everything seem so amazing and wonderful somehow. And suddenly, Eren found himself rather wanting to see more of the world through Armin’s wondrous eyes…

Dinner time eventually rolled around as the sun’s amber light began to signal its retirement soon. Armin had become quite comfortable in Eren’s presence and asked him from the cozy place he’d found surrounding his muscular arm in his clutch, “Will you stay for dinner again?”

“Sure.” Eren replied, finding a comfort of his own in Armin’s presence now and no longer speaking so coldly. “If you don’t mind me coming again.”

“Not at all.” Armin told him with a blush and a look of gratitude on his cute little face that Eren was growing accustomed to.

The pair settled into Armin’s cabin for dinner, and a small, rare smile began settling into Eren’s face. The strange boy gnawed fervently on the little pieces of bread Armin quickly baked to go with their stew, finding them most yummy as a side. Armin grinned against his spoonful of stew, finding himself not only growing fond of Eren’s company, but beginning to really love it. Such a delightful passion as Eren’s had never graced his presence until now. Night sank into the world around them though, and Eren sadly had to leave the warmth of this abysmal little cabin again.   

“Would you like to take some beef stew home with you?” Armin asked in his endearing way.

Eren so appreciated the gesture, and seemed like he longed to say yes, but instead insisted “I can’t.” 

Armin was sorry to hear this but this also made him curious. “You sure? Why not?”

“I just can’t.” Was his only answer.

Eren finished up the rest of his bowl and placed it by the door to be washed later as Armin always did, and lamented to himself that he had to go. “I’ll be on my way. Keep your doors locked and stay inside…” he repeated firmly but gently.

Armin glanced at the floor for a moment with pursed lips for being told once again to not go outside, but his gaze quickly returned to Eren.

Eren then looked up into Armin’s eyes with a puppy-ish wish. “But- can we maybe hang out again tomorrow, too?”

Armin’s was so delighted for the request. Joy itself could be defined by the look on his face. “Of course! Yes! I look forward to seeing you again tomorrow.”

Eren’s stony heart jumped in his chest at the sight of this happy Armin looking forward to spending tomorrow with him, and with a speechless nod, and a manly blush, he sorely forced himself to open the door and leave for the night, running off in the moonlight just as the night before.

Armin ran to the doorway to once again watch Eren scurry off, and sighed to himself at the thought of him. It was such a shame to him that they must part at nighttime. There was so much more he wanted to share with the eager and excitable Eren. "It surely won't always be like this." he thought. "One day he will put his faith in me. And we will come and go freely as we please." He hummed contentedly as he pulled himself back inside the cabin for the night, and shut the door, locking it tight.


	3. Answers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Armin is tired of all this secrecy with the mysterious Eren and decides to confront him for the truth!

A full month went by with the pair following the same daily routine. Armin would cook whatever dishes he knew how to make for Eren, and Eren would explore the forest with him. Armin would tell him stories, both of his family and of fiction and Eren would beg to hear more, high on the excitement it generated in him. And it would inspire much play and romance for adventure between the two. The pair had become such close and amiable partners that they began to forget what it was like to live a day without knowing each other. And this feeling turned into longing, missing each other’s company right after every sunset and lasting until morning when they’d finally meet again. Armin had served Eren new things to eat as well. Sometimes Eren would even bring things for Armin to cook, (albeit curiously roughly handled specimens). By now, Armin had served Eren fried fish, chicken soup, hasenpfeffer, eggs and sausage, but he continued to wonder constantly about why Eren was so weird with these meals. Every new dish would be met with such an emotional response from him, even for something as simple as cooked eggs. But no matter how many times he asked about it, Eren never gave him an answer beyond “It tastes great.” 

Armin tried to convince himself that this was the truth, along with all the other responses to questions Eren would dodge with meaningless answers, but all this mystery eventually became rather frustrating. Eren was always this way. Always dodging Armin’s questions and remaining an enigma that would keep Armin tossing and turning all night, especially since he had to turn in so early given Eren’s insistence that he not go outside after dark. Meanwhile, Armin had told Eren everything there was to know about himself. Beyond light things about himself, he revealed deep things, personal things, even all of his secrets, and all of his hopes and dreams. Eren now knew Armin better than anyone else ever could or would. Armin had given his trust entirely over to him and Eren had received him with true compassion, great fondness, and endless care. And yet Armin couldn’t say the same. Eren continued to evade him and would never give him the opportunity to reciprocate the welcomed trust and intimacy. It began to chew at the little bachelor at this point. How long was he supposed to pretend it was fine with him to not know his dearest friend? And so on this night, a whole month after they’d met, Armin was determined to get some answers.

The sun was setting and the birds began their hasty early retreat for the night, hushing along with the rest of the forest before dark might arise. Armin brought Eren into his cabin for dinner as usual after a long expedition in the forest, planning a welcomed beef stew like the batch they’d shared in their first meeting. Eren locked the door behind them as usual, inciting unnoticed stiffening in Armin, and removed his sweater, tossing it to the floor. Armin took a deep breath in and out. Now was the time. He turned to his friend, whom was emptying his pockets of the interesting stones and flowers they’d collected throughout the day, and began his advance with his ever-kind tone, though a little firmer than usual. “Eren, why do you always say I need to come in at night?”

Eren froze and looked up at him with an alert expression for a moment, like he were carefully choosing his words in his head. “Well, no one should be out in the woods at night.” He eventually replied casually.

Armin pursed his lips and continued his advance. “Why do you always lock the door behind us?”

Eren was looking a little uneasy now as he thought about his answer, which Armin of course took note of. “To keep intruders out, of course. You never know if someone should come to raid this old place.” he answered, removing the last little pebble from his pocket.

“Why don’t you let me come to your house?”

Eren seemed to ache a bit at having to answer this question. “I just can’t… Sorry.”

Armin refused to let another night go by without some shred of truth from his companion and went over to the door to stand with the secretive boy. “You never even take my food home with you.” He lamented, insisting on meeting Eren’s gaze with his own. “Why are you so ashamed of good cooking?”

Eren seemed stumped now, looking straight into those big sad brown eyes and unable to think up any excuse to give to the boy he’d grown so close to. He looked away and remained silent instead, anxious and on edge for his friend’s pursuit.

“You can tell me anything, you know. You don’t have to but, you know you can, right? I promise I’ll always listen. And I want to be of help to you. You’re my best friend… I'm right here for you.” Armin promised with shimmering eyes, and speaking in a way so genuine, nothing else could’ve melted such a cold man’s heart as this.

Eren was in pain now. But still he remained silent.

Armin looked at him with so much concern in his heart and placed an affectionate hand on Eren’s brawny shoulder to offer him his consolation. “Eren… Are you in the closet?” 

Eren quickly blushed all over and grew incredibly flustered, jolting a little and jumping in with a defensive “NO! Nonono, it’s not that at all- ah– No…” He forced a little smile in his nervousness, but this quickly faded into a strange sadness.

Armin’s loving eyes continued to seek his trust and comfort, and his fond hand slipped from Eren’s shoulder and along his toned arm to grip it with a loving caress. “It’s okay… I won’t tell anyone. I understand why you’d wanna keep it a secret. I used to take such awful beatings for being- _“different_ ” myself, back home. And mmh-” The little bachelor blushed and grew rather shy suddenly, simpering and preparing to confess yet another truth to the taller, awkwarder boy before him. “I… actually have a lot of feelings for you now too. Please, tell me, Eren, won’t you? Is this why you keep everything hidden away?”

Eren cracked a new little smile, and blushed as he looked down at his open hearted friend. But as he gently pried Armin’s sweet little hand from his arm, he insisted kindly “No, it’s not that… I’m sorry, Armin, but I just can’t tell you.”

Armin frowned with dismay, hurt and visibly so. “You realize that makes me feel pretty sad, right? Having told you everything there is to know about me, just for you to refuse me anything about yourself?” 

Eren hung his head in shame and guilt. “I know… I’m sorry. But you do know a lot about me now too.” He mumbled, lifting up his gaze again to meet Armin’s. “You know I like cooking, and hearing stories, and exploring with you…”

Armin sighed. He had been defeated. “Okay… I’ll heat up the beef stew, then…” he announced softly, although it was clear as he turned away that he’d been deeply hurt by the rejection and his eyes were welling up with tears.

Eren watched the hurt boy he’d grown so close to drag himself to the kitchen to cook him yet another meal, and loathed himself. He felt like such a brute for tormenting Armin like this. It wasn’t fair. And he was so sorry to hurt him. The evening sunlight dissipated into twilight and Eren supposed this was it. This would have to be the end. This could not continue. He quickly decided that he shouldn’t stay for dinner. It just wasn’t right to have been following this one-sided routine all month long, stringing along such a wonderful guy with some unspoken assuredness of companionship only to leave him every night with only half-assed effort and poor excuses in return. He gripped the doorknob and parted his lips to prepare his announcement of departure, but then his eyes widened. It had been a whole _month_ since they’d met… 

“Armin, I’ve got to go!” Eren yelled out suddenly.

Armin looked up from the potato he was chopping, now forced into excitement on top of being sad. “What?! You’re leaving now too?” He argued with a crack in his voice, the sob in his throat not very well hiding itself. “But it’s not even nighttime yet, the sun’s just barely-”

“There’s no time, I have to go right now!” He repeated frantically, rushing over to the windows and ensuring they were locked and that the curtains were drawn.

Armin made little effort to hold back the tears now as he protested eagerly. “Was it because of what I said?! Eren, I’m sorry I pried, please don’t leave!” He cried, not wanting to lose Eren over one confrontation. But it seemed Eren wasn’t interested in talking at all.

Indeed he wasn’t, the fierce eyed young man was apparently in emergency-mode, and grabbed his sweater as he yanked the door open. “Lock your doors and stay inside!” he begged him, with the most sincere and urgent concern. Eren glanced at Armin one final time with a gleam of sadness in his eyes, but not even a second later, he’d dashed out the door, slamming it shut behind him and bolted away from the cabin, leaving Armin there bereft of all answer and satisfaction.

Armin stood there, his tears streaming down his face while his jaw hung agape in witnessing such unprecedented and yet painfully unsurprising behavior from his mysterious friend. He finally let out a little scream in frustration. What was it going to take to get Eren to open up to him? The little man paced heatedly in front of the locked door, pulling at his hair and gritting his teeth trying to rationalize that which seemed so irrational to him that it just brought on more tears. What in the hell was he supposed to make of all this? What was he to Eren? What was any of this to Eren? What was any of this now-heartbreaking adventure at all? And at last, he just decided “Fuck it!” and with his first really irrational, emotionally charged decision, he unlocked the door against Eren’s wishes, and ran outside into the full moon’s pale light to chase after him. He would deal with whatever it was out there that Eren was keeping from him. He would deal with _anything_ if it meant earning the right to be at Eren’s side on any and whatever journey he was on. And if it meant proving that strength to Eren.

He ran along in the direction he'd often seen Eren run, determined to catch up with him. It was not long at all, however, before Armin found himself lost in the woods. The darkness surrounding him, even with the glow of the bright moonlight, rendered everything he’d grown so familiar with on journeys with Eren unrecognizable. He wasn’t sure if it were his own fear-driven imagination or not but the world around him seemed to transform into something unnatural. The brook’s babble could not be heard. The stars could not be seen. There were shrill animalistic noises all around him but he could not ascertain their sources. In the indiscernible noise of the frightening woods, those distant wolf howls he’d often heard began to cry out a little more fervently. And a little more loudly. And a little more nearer than they ever were before. Armin was beginning to panic. He drew short breaths and could never seem to breathe in enough while his legs felt as though they’d never be able to run fast enough. He stumbled about, turning around at every sound, but never knowing where any dangers would be coming from if they were coming. Another wolf’s cry rang out but this time it sounded as though it were but mere meters away from him. Armin squealed in surprise and tripped in the dark, fearing that fate may have its way with him tonight, and he should die in this most undignified way. But despite the existential dread and his heart’s desperate yearning to see the boy it longed to see again, Armin could not dwell on these things, as that low familiar growling noise he’d tried to forget slithered into his ears, and drew closer and closer until it were interrupted by another howl that was not so distant. Armin’s blood ran cold. He wished his brain would collapse so he would not have to endure his fate, but it certainly would not, and he had to analyze the truth of the matter. The truth being that this howl came from right beside him. It was here now.

Armin sat on the ground frozen in fear, his body quivering and his eyes unable to shut. Two yellowish eyes glowing in the moonlight glared at him, and this was the first image he saw before two shadowy animal figures began crawling toward him, panting with bloodlust, both setting their deadly gazes upon him. The creatures growled excitedly, with what Armin could swear were toothy grins on their faces, presumably the fangs of wolves, except- the creatures stood up. Armin’s mind straddled the line between reality and dream at this image, not knowing what to make of it. The creatures appeared so animal but now appeared so human too. And to make matters worse, they spoke!

“Come out for a little stargazing, have we, boy?” snarled one of the beasts in a retched voice that seemed an amalgam of animal and human.

Armin screamed. The world seemed to disappear for him in an instant as the creatures lunged in to gobble him up for dinner. And then out of the blue, a third, guttural howl sounded from nearby.

The carnivorous hunting partners stopped to assess the source of the howl, but not a second later came an enraged ball of angry furry fury, who attacked the pair of monsters without hesitation. 

Armin supposed he must be dead and in some realm of surreal purgatory because he swore he heard Eren’s voice yelling _“RUN!”_ from the fray of beasts. Unable to process anymore of this horrible scene, Armin could do nothing more than answer meekly. “Eren?” But the next thing he knew, a loud thud and a canine whimper seemed to end the commotion and suddenly he was being scooped up in a pair of big, burly warm arms. He looked up and could just barely see a pair of glowing and fierce, yet familiar, silver eyes and a handsome but gruesome furry face illuminated in the moonlight. Armin might have been dazed after the frightful encounter with man eating monsters, but he certainly recognized the boy he so desperately longed to see again. “Eren? Is this really you?”

“Don’t worry, I’ll get you home!” Eren promised through a set of fangs.

\--

The lupine boy fled through the night as fast as he could, clutching his dear friend in his arms protectively. Armin spent the short journey processing everything that had just happened and soon enough, a grand sunny smile came upon his face. Eren burst through the door of the cabin and let Armin down from his arms quickly before slamming the door shut and locking it. 

“Do you have a cellar?!” he asked urgently, grabbing Armin’s lantern from its peg on the wall.

Armin was oddly dizzy and happy as he replied excitedly, “Yes! It’s right over there!” 

Eren spotted the latched door in the middle of the floor where Armin pointed and grabbed his hand to lead him along. “Come on, then, let’s go!”

Armin didn’t move, however, and giddily bounced as he told Eren to “Wait just a second!”

Eren watched, bouncing nervously as Armin proceeded to rush over to the pot of beef stew simmering over the fire. He scooped out a couple of servings into 2 bowls and shoved them into the confused Eren’s arms, and took the lantern before gladly urging Eren into the cellar himself, where the pair were to wait out the night. The youths disappeared into the underground shelter with the lantern light, and Armin locked the latch tightly.

He lead Eren down the flight of stairs and into the little room beneath the cabin which was surrounded by safe brick walls that might keep its owner safe from a natural crisis. He scampered out to set the lamp on the ground followed by Eren quickly placing the bowls beside it so he could check on his mate.

“Armin, are you okay?” 

Armin whipped around to greet his friend’s question with wide, sparkling eyes and a giant grin as he threw his arms around him to cry out in joy “I’m great!!! Are you okay?”

Eren was surprised and unsure of what was going on with his companion, as this was certainly not the reaction he was expecting. But he hugged him back awkwardly nonetheless. “Uh… I’m fine.”

Armin raised his head which had so snuggly burrowed itself into Eren’s warm and wonderful chest to meet his gaze with his own adoring one. “Is this what you’ve been hiding from me?! You’re a werewolf?! Is that it?!” he asked gleefully. 

Eren was almost dumbfounded. This sort of revelation should have terrified any regular human. But then again he supposed that this is Armin, and in Armin’s case, maybe such a reaction makes perfect sense. “Uh… Y-Yeah. This is it.”

Armin sighed, a wave of relief washing over him. “Ahhh, okay. I thought you just didn’t like me or something.” 

Eren gave him a little melancholy smile and blushed again. “No, no… I definitely like you a lot.”

A sort of peace fell over the two as the moment sank in, with the distant howling sounds above them muffled by the safety of this cellar. 

Having had a chance to calm down from everything, Armin returned to his rational self. The pair sat across from one another with the lantern between them, sharing a late dinner and a little exposition. Finally, Armin might find some answers. And finally Eren might find the courage to tell him.

“So why did you hide it from me? I mean, I can think of plenty of reasons I suppose, but… Why did you?”

Eren raised a furry eyebrow. “Well, because… Aren’t you afraid of me?”

Armin shook his head no. “You’re still Eren. Why should I be afraid? Did you want to eat me?”

Eren tried to suppress an airy chuckle but failed. “No, no. I never wanted to eat you…”

Armin smiled softly. In the silence, he studied Eren in the orange light, fully ingesting his new form. He was hairier now. A big pair of wolf’s ears pointed up over his head and scary fangs showed up in his mouth when he spoke. A set of claws had grown out from his now-furry hands, but they laid at rest between his open legs as they always did. His body seemed to have grown a little bit in size as his clothes fit tighter, or perhaps it was merely the fur that had grown beneath them. Yet his clothes did still fit just fine. Strange it was indeed, Armin thought. This was a complete transformation and yet all Armin saw was the same Eren, sitting before him in his peasant shirt and black sweater, even as his tail swished now and again behind him. It was that same pair of eyes he’d gazed into so indulgently, that same voice which soothed his worst fears, that same smile which made him feel like the world, however scary it was, was livable. Enjoyable. And it made him feel like he had a friend, just as it always did. Scary as Eren was now to the untrained eye, he was entirely all the same. Armin reached out to touch his face. His gentle hand caressed his hairy cheek, and he felt Eren jolt ever so slightly beneath his palm before turning into it. Armin began to move his hand up to Eren’s new furry ears but suddenly he pulled it away at the sight of blood on it. Eren was bleeding. “Does it hurt you to transform?” the little bachelor asked in concern.

“Yes, it does. There’s a lot of bleeding involved because your body parts start physically changing shape. Especially my hands because of the claws that grow out of them. But my change isn’t as bad as some others’…”

Armin placed his bowl of stew aside for a moment and crawled over to hug Eren again, gently, burying his head in his chest. “I’m so sorry you have to endure this much pain. You must have been hurting when you left the cabin earlier.”

Eren’s face glowed a bright red beneath his furry beard and his paw-ish hands slipped over Armin’s back to return the hug. This boy was a marvel unto him in his own right.

When they pulled apart, Armin suggested they eat their stew, which he was so glad he’d brought with him to appease Eren’s wolfish appetite. Eren was grateful and the comfortable air between them that they’d become so familiar with had finally returned in full, and even stronger than before. And to Armin’s relief and joy, Eren was more than willing to tell him everything there was to know.

“The wolves that attacked you tonight were my friends Connie and Sasha. They’re not too bright but they are the best team of hunters in our clan. We got away more so because they were so confused by me getting in their way for the first time than because I overpowered them. But like hell, I’d ever let them get away with attacking you.” 

“Thank you for saving me.” The blond said meekly.

“Don’t thank me for that…” Eren told him with a grin.

Armin appreciated this boy so much. He hated to even think about this, but decided to go ahead and address the big question looming around the room. “…Have you ever eaten a human before?”

Eren nodded his head. “No. I haven’t.”

Armin relaxed even more now. “That’s good. I truly wasn’t worried, I hope you know. I just thought it’d be good to bring food down here in case you were hungry.”

Bemused for his companion’s beautiful mind, Eren took another bite, no different than the dainty ones he normally took when he had dinner with Armin, even with these wolf hands.

Armin then repeated the other burning question he’d always had. “Why do you love beef stew so much.” 

Eren put his dinner down to answer him with his full attention as he supposed this would be a good lead into explaining his culture. “Werewolves traditionally only eat fresh, raw meat. I’d never had anything cooked before. And your beef stew was truly delicious… My parents are as traditional as they come. Mom and dad go hunting and bring home their prey for us to eat while it’s still warm. Gets old after a while.” 

Armin beamed. Finally he knew more about Eren’s home life. He ventured further. “Us? Do you have siblings?”

Eren nodded. “Yes, My sister, Mikasa, little miss perfect. She gets on my nerves. And my older brother, Zeke. The smart-ass. He and my dad are from another clan, but he comes around pretty often these days. He stinks up the house.”

Armin chuckled. “Guess werewolves aren’t so different from most humans.”

Eren glanced away sadly for a moment. “Well… We do differ in some ah- major ways. I’m of the age where I should begin hunting on my own. I’ve been lying to them that that’s what I’ve been doing when I stay with you for dinner.”

Armin continued smiling gently, still unable to help his excitement of getting to know Eren, his lovesickness rendering him impossible to frighten even with talk of werewolf hunts. “Why did you run out in such a rush tonight though? You’ve never done that before.”

“Full moon. Depending on what sort of werewolf we are, we can 'change’ whenever we want, or not at all. But when the moon is full, we don’t get a choice. I didn’t want you to see me like this… Or know about it…” 

Armin scooted closer to him, still wanting to have that conversation that they desperately needed to have. He repeated his question. “…Why exactly were you so afraid to tell me? I know it’s a lot to take in, but- you could’ve at least _told_ me. What did you think I would say? Why did you push me away, Eren?” 

Eren’s wolf puppy ears drooped a little in guilty sorrow. “Because at first, I didn’t wanna get close to you… But then you fed me that stew. And you talked to me. And then, I thought I shouldn’t tell you, because then you might not wanna be around me. Or maybe that would be for the best. Werewolves… have an urge to hunt. We do it all the time, but full moon nights are pretty er- special. Many of us choose not to eat humans, but a “change” against your will sort of… We have a don’t-ask-don’t-tell policy on these nights. They’re called Blood Moon Hunts. A lot of werewolves always say that they lose control during a full moon and can’t help what they eat. They become true monsters against their will. I actually… have no such urge though. They say it’s cuz I’m not mature enough yet but… I’m turning 18, and it still hasn’t happened. So I wonder if something’s wrong with me. But… I also think I like it this way… I’ve never told anybody that before. So there you go.” Eren paused and gave his friend a small smile, knowing it would mean a lot to Armin to hear something so personal about himself, and was happy to see a glow in the blond’s cheeks. And he had to admit that it felt even better than he had imagined it would to open up to him. “Knowing all that, I feared that you’d- stop giving me that stew. But as the days went by, I thought- I wanted to tell you. But it was just too risky.” Eren blushed to himself, stumbling over his words in such a clunky manner, feeling rather embarrassed from top to bottom. He continued, but his voice began to trail off to silence. “I really like- uhm… beef stew.” 

Armin thought he sort of understood that message, although he wasn’t sure. But with a happy, sleepy sigh, he resolved to play along. He scooted in even closer to his companion and laid his head on Eren’s shoulder like he were right at home. “You can have all the beef stew you want…”

Eren’s heart started racing, forgetting entirely that he were a powerful beast of the forest when so under the spell of this tiny, pretty little man who was sweet enough to melt even the coldest of hearts. He took his somewhat stretched sweater off and folded it to make Armin a make shift pillow for the night to sleep on. 

Armin was so moved by the gesture and in turn removed his own sweater to allow Eren a pillow too, laying it right next to his and laying down comfortably despite the lumpy ground beneath him. 

Eren looked down at him thoughtfully. This was an angel, he thought. Why Armin ever thought of staying in these awful woods or in the company of a devil like himself was beyond him. But he certainly couldn’t let him get cold sleeping underground on the floor without a sweater. And so, he laid down himself, his big warm arms wrapping around Armin’s lean little body to keep him warm, and to keep him safe. His legs curled up to him too, and he blew out the lantern.

The pair murmured their little good nights to each other and cuddled closely in this old chilly cellar while the unheard chaos above them ensued until dawn. And although there were no conditions here in this place for a good night’s sleep, the pair had never slept better.

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so tired and have so much work to do and I have gay feelings tormenting me with sapphic woes, thank you for reading this chapter despite it's many flaws >~< (also hey, now I can actually tag this with some proper genre tags! although this twist was probably obvious haha)


	4. A New Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren finally tells Armin everything he wants to know about himself. And a visitor drops by...

The next morning brought about soft yellow sunshine and musical birds chirping in a particularly harmonious way as the cabin slowly awoke from its slumber. The bachelors cuddled quietly as they slept, Eren’s human form having returned in full, and Armin never feeling warmer in that chilly place than he did in his arms. Eren awoke first, slowly forming a smile as he began to realize that this wasn’t a dream. Armin was really there, sleeping in his arms, even after seeing his frightening wolf form. He laid there quietly, just holding him and taking care not to disturb him after such a busy night. Armin eventually stirred awake, nuzzling himself into Eren’s chest as reality returned to him, and he mumbled a soft and sweet “Good morning…” to his abnormal companion.

When the pair returned to the surface, Armin set to work preparing breakfast while Eren went outside for a short time to survey the area for safety before setting the table. Soon they were seated and sharing a good meal like any other day, although a beautiful new tension existed between them, and a new exciting feeling was inspiring them. Eren had never felt freer than he did when this precious boy came into his life, and he was now more than ready to share everything he could with him.

“Werewolves are all over this forest and mountain. There are clans everywhere of all sorts.”he began.

Armin lit up. All he needed was the signal that it was okay to discuss this subject and the questions began pouring out of him. What sorts are there? How many clans were there exactly? Do they ever leave the forest? Do they ever enter the village nearby? Do they hunt for sport? Do they need human meat to survive? Where did they come from? Why do they exist? What sort are you and your parents? What clan are you from?

Eren answered each one of his questions promptly and to the best of his ability. Nothing was off the table. He was glad to answer any question Armin might have, though Armin finally caught himself, and apologized for badgering him with so many questions. But Eren insisted in a soft voice, “No no, it’s okay… I’ve wanted to tell you all this. Werewolves are either born or made. Those who were born werewolves can bite humans and turn them into werewolves. Your body bleeds and pains as it changes but it can also heal your wounds, no matter how fatal. But it’s still a curse. So it’s up to the victim whether they want the bite or not in, my opinion. My mother was an ordinary human bitten by my father, a pure werewolf. I’ve often wondered if that’s why I feel no urge to kill, even this late in my life. That would be laughable to most of my friends and family but to me… it’s a relief.”

Armin nodded. “Ah, I see… and you’ve really never told anyone that?”

Eren smiled at him. “Nope…”

Armin smiled back and the pair shared a quiet, happy little moment before he continued with the questions. “Tell me about your sister. You said she got on your nerves, right?”

“Yeah. Mikasa is a strange case. We adopted her. Her family isolated themselves from their clans and swore off werewolf culture altogether. She says they even managed to avoid transformation on full moons, somehow. My father and I were visiting her for medical reasons when she was young and her parents were killed by 3 humans. I changed and killed 2 of her parents’ murderers, mercilessly, the way a werewolf is supposed to. But it didn’t feel good at all… I told Mikasa to kill the third and that was her first change. She’d never done it before and yet since then, she’s become the goddamn pride and joy of the clan. Fucking hunts perfectly without even thinking, kills flawlessly with clean cuts, while I- Well, anyway, she’s good at what she does. She’s clingy as hell though. I’m amazed she still hasn’t found me here.”

Armin stroked his chin in thought. “You know, far be it for me to make any leaps about a culture I’ve only just heard about, but I wonder if werewolves really do have “no control” as you say. If her parents could repress transformations altogether, then it sounds like maybe the blood moon is just an excuse people use to be merciless. So there’s nothing wrong with you at all! I certainly like you the way you are.” 

Eren blushed just as Armin did and tried to laugh it off.  “Haha, nothing wrong huh? There’s a thought…”

Armin gazed at his friend, becoming even more fond of him by the minute as their newfound intimacy bloomed. Eren allowed himself to be vulnerable before him, and to Armin, it only made him look stronger. “Is there anything else you wanna tell me? About werewolves, you, your home?” 

Eren looked away for a second, and shook his head no. 

At last when the pair finished their breakfast, they prepared to head out for a walk just to breathe and process everything while they might explore like any other day. This was such a relief to Eren after worrying for so long that they wouldn’t be able to do this anymore once Armin found out about his secrets, but Armin could not have been more excited about exploring a post-blood moon forest with him. Even with all he’d learned, the woods were somehow less scary to him now, even if Eren didn’t quite understand. But as they opened the door and stepped out onto the porch, they stopped in their tracks. There, was Mikasa. 

She stood there at the bottom of the steps, transformed in broad daylight, and angry. Her tail swished and her wolf ears were bent back, looking as a mother looks before scolding her naughty child. She gave Eren a harsh glare, and spoke to him in a cold tone. “So, this is what you’ve been doing when you go out “hunting”.

Armin anxiously clung to Eren’s arm. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Midterms nearly killed me


End file.
